Safe Harbor
by Aurette
Summary: #3 of the 'Safe' series sees our beloved characters in the midst of the Final Battle. Will they both survive? Will they tell each other how they feel? Will Severus Drop Trou? We finally earn our 'M' rating! Many Canon facts were killed. sry. not.


**Preemptive Defense:** But I swear! I didn't make any money! JKR did it!

**AN:** This is the third installment of the 'Safe' stories and is probably best read in sequence however I do not think that is manditory. I want to thank everyone that enjoyed my other stories and pushed me to write yet one more, this is for you guys. I also want to say how in awe I am that there are people in so many fascinating countries all over the world who have read my stories. I had no idea fanfiction's readership extended so far. So hello to you readers in Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia, Malta and Saint Pierre and Miquelon! Please review if you enjoyed it, it really is like a drug to us.

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Harry Potter flung up another shield spell and danced sideways to avoid the boulder thrown at him. Turning his head to the side he saw Dumbledore dodge the bouncing rock as well. Their eyes met and they nodded to each other as they advanced. The final battle had been going on for hours. What started as a well thought out battle plan in the heart of the Forbidden Forest had quickly devolved into uncontrolled chaos that kept shifting closer to the grounds of Hogwarts. Voldemort had turned tail and run, throwing his Death Eaters at the combined army of The Light. Now he had reorganized his troops and was finally turning to face his young nemesis on high ground backed by the giants and the werewolves.

Things had seemed dark indeed but Harry, spurred on by his need to protect the school at all costs had forced his hand in a last minute desperate rush up the flank of the hill, taking advantage of the distraction Grawp made in the ranks of the Giants. Being giants, they were none too bright. Seeing one of their own turn on them, and have such fun doing it, gave them ideas. So they had all turned on each other and were busy chaotically wiping themselves out. The torn up trees and massive boulders flying through the air gave the battle a look of a drunken cricket match with toddlers run amok on the field between the players.

On the hilltop, just overlooking the school, Harry Potter and The Dark Lord, Voldemort met in combat. The expected insults and ripostes were shouted or hissed, as the case may be, and then they got down to it. Harry, with Dumbledore behind him casting protective spells and Voldemort, with Bellatrix Lestrange doing the same for him, shot spell after spell at each other with no effect as people, animals, and monsters screamed and fell all around them. A roar in the distance showed the doors of the school fly open and streams of students rush out and join the fray. Harry ground his teeth at his schoolmates putting themselves in danger but even giving it his all, it was obvious that the two opponents were an even match and neither had an advantage. All that was to be done was to wait for the other to make a mistake.

Harry blocked out the sounds of people dying around him and clung to his wand for dear life. He kept his eyes locked on Voldemort's but took in everything around him with his peripheral vision. So that even as he saw the Dark Lord getting ready to blast another curse at him, he also saw Bellatrix adding another layer to her protections as she danced back from the cliff edge he had been hoping to drive them towards. He saw rocks and boulders flying past through the trailing smoke and ash and knew when to dodge them and when to stand his ground even as the wind of their passing ruffled his hair. This was how, even though he never took his eyes off his opponent, he saw a black shadow loom up behind Bellatrix suddenly from beyond the cliff edge, appearing out of nowhere. Harry flicked his eyes quickly to gauge the threat. A masked Death Eater landed behind Bellatrix and she flung her head back to see who it was without interrupting her spell work. She cackled in triumph and turned back to the fight with a renewed viciousness stabbing a deadly hex at Dumbledore. Harry kept his eyes locked and tried to push his fear down deep but kept part of his focus on this new combatant who raised an arm up and stabbed his wand against the back of Bellatrix's neck. Harry couldn't keep his surprise off his face as he watched Professor Snape rip his mask off with a bloodied hand and shout, "_Avada Kadavra!" _Enveloped in a green glow,Bellatrix Lestrange dropped to the ground like a puppet with her strings cut and the Dark Lord's shields dissipated.

Harry wasted no time in taking advantage of the fallen protective spells and with a shout of his own he poured his entire being into the spell he sent flying at his opponent. Voldemort tried to dodge to the left but Snape smirked and pushed him back into the line of fire. Two things happened at once. Voldemort squealed like a little girl as the green light enveloped him and Severus Snape flew backwards off the hilltop as he took a glancing blow to the head from a stray boulder. His mask and wand flew from his nerveless fingers and his robes flapped around him like magnificent, but ultimately useless, wings as he disappeared from sight.

Voldemort seemed to absorb the killing curse thrown his way and Harry and Dumbledore both watched in horror as he appeared to right himself and then raise his own wand and point it at them again. Harry sighed deeply and raised his wand again. Dumbledore chuffed a deep frustrated breath and was just starting to cast protective spells again when Voldemort gave a quick startled exclamation and with a look on his face like he just realized he had left the bath water running at home, the Dark Lord blew apart. The resulting explosion leveled the hilltop. Harry and Dumbledore were among those that crumpled to the ground motionless. Of the Dark Lord nothing was left but his wand and a smoking shoe.

~*^*~

Hermione Granger was completely turned around. With the failing light, the smoke and the flashing lights of flying curses and hexes her eyes were dazzled. She had been running with Ron and Neville towards the hilltop at the center of the battle when they came upon a skirmish between some aurors and a pack of werewolves. With a bloodcurdling cry Neville and Ron had thrown themselves into the fray. She had slowed up and was busy picking off targets from a safe distance when she was almost trampled by a maddened giant. She flung herself to the side and rolled to a stop at the base of a cliff. When she looked up the skirmish had moved away and she found herself alone in the madness. She jumped up and looked around for a new target. A knot of four black-robed Death eaters was coming her way but had not seen her yet so she ducked back down behind a shrub.

"We need to get to the top of the hill! We don't have time to fight our way up the other side. Damn Lucius and his stupid Anti-Broom spell! Where's Snape? He can fly!" shouted one.

"Dunno," answered another. "I saw him at one point but then he started screaming like a lunatic when he saw the school empty out onto the field and ran off like he was on fire."

"What was he screaming?" a third wanted to know.

"Something about bookworms or some such. I think he must have gotten hit with a stunner."

Another chimed in, "Must have been his own, his aim is something awful. I saw him hit Walden in the back with a hex at one point. He turned the poor bastard into a sheep."

"That was him? I saw him get snatched up by a giant. Poor bugger, I can still hear him bleating."

"Shut up the lot of you! We have to get to the top of that hill! Spread out and find Snape. I'll wait here, when you find him bring him to me!"

Hermione watched as they parted ways. When the three had gone she trained her wand on the remaining one and when he turned his back on her she shouted, "_Stupefy!"_

She reached into her pocket and grabbed one of the many jar lids Luna had prepared. Scurrying over to the body she slapped the lid down on the death eater's mask and tapped it with her wand, hissing. "_Portus_." When he had disappeared, on his way straight to a holding cell, she scrambled back behind her shrub as voices approached her.

"Mulciber! I got him! Mulciber? Where the hell is he?"

"Look, Carrow, I don't have time for this!" Hermione's heart slammed in her chest as she heard the voice.

"Don't have time to help our Lord? What are you on about Snape? You've been acting funny all day."

"And just what is your idea of normal behavior in a war zone, Carrow. I have orders, I have an objective, and you are keeping me from it with your foolish errands."

"What, to chase off after '_bloody inconvenient bookworms'_? That's right, I heard you. Sounds personal to me. And if you think running off in the middle of the battle to rescue your precious school librarian is more important then flying up to the top of that hill and helping our Lord, then perhaps you and I need to sort out your priorities."

Hermione watched as the shorter Death Eater pointed his wand at her Severus who had gone very still.

"I hear you've been missing a lot tonight, Snape. That your aim seems to be off. I'm sure Macnair would have been very understanding of your seeming handicap tonight if he hadn't ended up playing _Who's Your Mutton _with a giant. We've all seen you duel, Snape. You don't miss, even dead drunk. So I have to ask myself, if we take all these little facts into consideration, what do they mean?" The man lowered his body into a fighting crouch. "What do they say?"

"_Stupefy!"_

Severus Snape's eye flew wide behind his mask at the sight of Amycus Carrow collapsing at his feet, revealing Hermione Granger behind him with her wand pointed at him.

"You!" he hissed.

Her hands shook as she reached into her pocket to grab another jar lid and slapped it down on the mask of the fallen Death Eater.

"What the hell were you thinking, running onto battle!" he yelled as he pulled his wand out and muttered '_portus' _and watched the body disappear.

"I was doing my duty!" she yelled back, as she straightened up.

"Your _duty_ was to stay put!" he shouted.

"My duty was to help Harry!" she shouted back. It really was quite easy to shout at him when he had a mask on.

"Who _told_ you to stay in the damn school!" he raved, stepping closer.

"That was when the battle was supposed to stay in the _damn_ forest!" she screeched.

"Well, please excuse us for things not going to plan in a war!" he roared, realizing flecks of foam didn't have far to travel in a mask.

"Exactly! Speaking of plans, what the hell were you thinking running back to the school when Harry needed you up on that hill?!" she demanded. He realized the mask was good, however, for protection from other people's spit.

"I was trying to find _you_, you ungrateful little brat!" he bellowed.

"What the hell for? I am not important right now!" she howled.

"Like _hell_ you're not!" he shrieked.

And that is how the other two Death Eaters found them. Nose to mask, heaving bosom to heaving chest.

"Well now, isn't this an interesting little lovers quarrel. _Tsk, tsk_, Snape, been dipping into the honey at work? Didn't think you had it in you," said the one.

At the first sound of voices Severus had whipped his wand up and spun, shielding Hermione with his body and keeping her behind his back with his other arm.

"Wasn't sure you even had one _on_ you, if you get my meaning." snarled the other. "Isn't that Potter's little girlfriend, Rowle?"

"I do believe it is, Selwyn. What should we make of that do you think?"

"Let's kill them and then ask."

"Sounds like a plan."

Hermione knew she was a liability as long as he felt he had to protect her. Taking the initiative she dropped to the ground and shouted out a jelly-legs jinx just as one of the Death Eaters screamed out a slicing hex. Severus grunted and stepped on her arm as he staggered to the side. He leaped off her before his weight came down and the fight was on. She shot a _protego_ at him as he screamed out '_sectumsempra_!' One of the Death Eaters went down gurgling as the other hit her with _langlock _silencing her. Snape roared when she was hit and sent a wordless curse that sent the last Death Eater flying backwards until he smashed against a tree and fell still.

"_Finite Incanatum,_" he hissed as her dragged her up from the ground. "Are you alright?" He ran his hands over her head and shoulders looking for injuries.

"I'm fine. Are you? Oh, God your bleeding!" she reached for his bloodied hand but he batted her away.

"I'm fine. We must get you out of here." He wrapped his arms around her to apparate but she shoved his arms off her.

"No! You can't! You must get to the top of that hill and help Harry and the Headmaster!"

He looked to the top of the cliff where flashes of light revealed flying boulders and trees and then back down at her. _'Why does she always cloud my judgment?'_

"I don't know. I think it's a chemistry thing."

"Oh, Merlin, I said that out loud, didn't I?"

"Pretty much, yeah." She reached up and gave his shoulder a squeeze and he hissed. "Oh, sorry!" Her hand came back bloody. "Let me fix that."

"No, you're right there's no time. I want you to hunker down behind that bush and stay there. Do not move, do not make a sound." He tapped her on top of her head and she felt a cold shiver down her body. Disillusioned, she patted him on the cheek and slipped into her hiding place.

"I'm down." she called out.

"Stay down, you foolish girl." he called back.

Hermione watched in fascination as he stepped back and started to mutter in what sounded like Old English. Then he looked up at the cliff top and leaped into the air. Her mouth fell open as he rose up the cliff face about forty feet before he disappeared over the edge.

It seemed like only a few minutes had gone by since she had seen her professor fly up the face of the hill when she saw him fly back off. He looked marvelous, with his arms outstretched and his robes fluttering about him with such grace. It wasn't until she realized he was coming down a lot faster than he had gone up that it occurred to her he might not be doing so voluntarily. She jumped when it looked to her like the top of the hill blew up.

She ran out from her hiding place and pointing her wand at him shouted, "_Wingardium Leviosa_!" Nothing happened. "_Levicorpus_!" Still nothing. Her beloved professor was plummeting straight for her and she didn't know how to stop him. Panic overwhelmed her and she screamed.

"Noooo!"

As she screamed she felt her heart burst in her chest and something poured out of her cancelling out her disillusionment.

~*^*~

Severus Snape was flying. He loved to fly. When he was a lad, he had loved the freedom of his second-hand broom. When he had gotten his first paycheck as a teacher he had bought himself a new one. However when the Dark Lord has taught him the spell to fly without a broom it was much, much better. But this flying, this was by far the best it was almost like floating, if only his head didn't hurt so bad. What had he been hit with, a boulder? He thoughts were muddled terribly. He was pretty sure he had helped Potter win. At least he hoped so. He couldn't see much from his position. He turned his head to look around and saw only a cliff face. He looked down and saw Granger on the ground under him. She seemed to be crying. Why was she crying? Why was he flying so slow? He wanted to get to her faster. She wasn't supposed to cry, the silly girl. He needed to make her stop. Maybe he would kiss her and that would make her stop. He sent more power to his wand to make him descend faster and realized he didn't have his wand. That was odd, because he was pretty sure he couldn't fly without it. That made him chuckle because then that would mean he wasn't flying at all but falling. Which was impossible really because he was moving much too slowly to be falling. Unless. He looked back down at Granger who was sobbing uncontrollably with her arms stretched up towards him. Unless she was making him fly. What a clever girl. He smiled and relaxed back as he drifted slowly to the ground.

Hermione was loosing it. He was still about ten feet from the ground and her power was giving out. She didn't understand what she had done, it had just come out of her in her panic, so she didn't know how to bring him down any faster but she knew if her power gave out he was going to come down very fast indeed. All she could do was keep her hands stretched towards him as her energy protected him from the fall as it had protected him from the rocks and dirt thrown off the hilltop. She poured all of her magic into protecting him as she was pelted with debris. Eight feet. Not much farther.

"I heard her over here! I swear it was her scream!"

She kept her focus on her task and tried to ignore the thumping footsteps behind her. Six feet.

"There she is! Hermione!"

"Ron! No! Don't-" But he did. Ron Weasley, so relieved to find his friend, threw his arms around her and pinned her arms to her side. He spun her around and hugged her tight to him while from a few feet away he heard a muffled thump. She seemed to sag in his arms. Neville came running up.

"You were right, Ron, it was her scream. Hermione are you alright?"

"Nnghh." she replied and she sagged farther down in his grip.

"I think she's been hurt, Ron!" Neville looked up. "You think she got it when the hill exploded?"

"Oh, gods!" Ron turned her face towards him and in the dim light her saw her eyes rolling around in her head.

"'Mione?" he called.

"Ungfmph," she answered.

"'Mione!" he yelled as her eyes rolled up and closed. He startled as he heard a deep voice from behind him.

"No. _Mine_-ey"

Ron turned just in time to get cuffed in the head as someone pulled Hermione out of his arms.

"Death Eater!" shouted Ron.

"Snape!" squeaked Neville.

"Idiots." drawled Severus as he lifted the girl up in his arms and turned to limp away.

"I knew we couldn't trust the greasy git!" shouted Ron

Limping badly from his injuries from the fall, and bleeding profusely from the wound on his head. A groggy, muddled Severus Snape looked a horrifying sight shuffling off with a young woman in his arms. In fact the sight provoked an almost primitive response in the two students left behind.

"Put her down now, Snape, or I'll drop you where you stand."

"No. You can't have her, you great, stupid turnip. She's too smart for you."

"Do it, Professor, we won't let you take her away."

"Oh, please. Go play with your toad." he replied without a backward glance as he continued to make his slow progress away.

"What are you going to do with her, you traitor?"

At this he stopped and turned back.

"You broke her and made her drop me. I am going to kiss her and make it all better. Now go away."

"Oh gods!" gasped Neville. "You monster! _Stupefy_!"

Severus Snape cradled her close as he fell to the ground. Again.

Neville ran up with a jar lid and slapped in on his face as Ron rescued his friend from the clutches of an evil traitorous Death Eater sex fiend.

Neville tapped the lid.

"_Portus!"_

~*^*~

Severus woke up and looked around bleary-eyed at his cell. As far as cells go, it wasn't all that bad. Located in the bowels of the Ministry it was a damn sight better than what he had to look forward to in Azkaban.

The Trial of Severus Snape had been postponed, repeatedly, because most of the principals involved were in St Mungo's. The Headmaster and Potter, central witnesses to the defense, were still comatose weeks after the battle from the explosive demise of Tom Riddle. Granger, central witness for the prosecution was also comatose, however medically induced, to help her recover from a near total magical depletion. Severus Snape himself had not been in very good shape after authorities pulled him from the holding cell to calm a riot. It would seem his fellow Death Eaters were less than thrilled to have him among them and had damn near murdered the man before guards could intervene. He had spent a month in the Prison Ward of St Mungo's under 24 hour auror watch while he re-grew a spleen, both kidneys and several important bones. Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom were also recovering from injuries sustained whilst heroically levitating their injured friend back to the school and running into an enraged giant but neither had been too hurt to relate their charges against their evil former professor to the proper authorities or the Daily Prophet, for that matter. The public wanted his head. Not that he was any more special than the other Death Eaters, the public wanted all of their heads. Only the doubt cast on his charges by some of his fellow Order members had delayed his being summarily sent to Azkaban to be kissed. However, he wasn't fooling himself as to the out come if the Headmaster or Potter failed to wake soon. Even if Granger were to rise to his defense her testimony was a bit tainted in the eyes of the public. Apparently he had been slowly turning her towards the Dark Arts all throughout her last year in school. Which explained her erratic behavior, what with the hair and all. At least that's what Rita Skeeter would have everyone believe. His guards made sure to pass him all the pertaining articles culled from the newspapers to torment him.

Come to think of it, he hadn't seen any recent news in days. He didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing. He rolled off his cot and shuffled over to the small sink and washed the sleep off his face and once again contemplated his guilt. The truth was he was afraid. He wasn't sure he was innocent. Of being a traitor he knew he was clear. He knew he had been willing to expend his life in service to Dumbledore. What he wasn't sure of were the charges of attempted rape and Magical Siphoning. He really didn't remember much of the last minutes of the battle. He remembered fighting with Death Eaters, he remembered Granger being there. He remembered killing Bellatrix Lestrange but could not remember seeing the Dark Lord die. After that all he had were confused images of flying and holding Granger in his arms, he remembered nothing else. All he knew is that she had been gravely hurt, that it was his fault and that somehow when it came to Granger his brain always seemed to disengage and he seemed to constantly act in a way that was not normal for him. Therefore he feared the truth. He was so very afraid of what it would be and what it would say about him. That he had done something unforgivable to an innocent young lady.

"Snape, Severus T.! Present yerself!" Startled out of his thoughts by his morning guard Snape walked over in front of his cell door and held his hands out to his sides.

"Well, Professor, yer goin' on a field trip today. Yeh have a meeting with some lawyers and such down the hall. Here's some clothes." He shoved them through the bars. "Get yerself presentable and be quick about it."

Severus grabbed the pile as it hit the floor and started to lay them out on his bed. They were his, laundered and starched. Even the undergarments. This was going to be uncomfortable in more ways than one.

When he had changed and dragged a comb through his hair he went over to the door and shoved his hands through. The guard locked manacles on his wrists and then shoved him back away from the door as he opened it.

Snape was escorted 100 yards through three doorways to his destination. He felt lightheaded and nervous but let none of that show on his face as his guards pushed him up against a wall before knocking on a door. The door opened and he was shoved inside.

The first thing he registered was that he was staring at Albus Dumbledore. There were other people in the room an older man and an even older woman that he did not know but they were insignificant.

"Headmaster?" He hated how small and pitiful his voice sounded.

"Hello, Severus," he said. "How are you holding up, my son?"

Severus couldn't stop a small sob escaping before he got control back.

"I am well, Sir. I could be much worse and fear I will be."

"Nonsense, my boy. We'll get you out of this. All these charges are baseless and we just need to go through a few formalities before we can get all of the charges dropped. Traitor, indeed. Harry and I came through with all our memories intact. I am sorry I could not be here sooner but it took me a couple of days to get my energy back after such a long convalescence. Potter is still coming along but will be able to provide his memories for your defense. We should have you out of here by the end of the day."

Severus looked around at the other two people in the room afraid this was some kind of joke. Unwilling to believe. The other man, dressed impeccably in expensive robes nodded in encouragement and the woman, heavy set but with an expressive kindly face seemed to be holding back tears.

"But," he whispered, "what about Miss Granger? I was told I hurt her."

"We have expert testimony that shows you did no such thing, Professor." The older man said.

"Severus, may I present Mr. Haddington Padge? He is your legal council provided to help us through the bureaucracy involved in getting these charges dropped." the two men nodded to each other and exchanged how do you do's. "And this is Madam Hortense Gadsley, she is invaluable with providing me with legal advice." He turned and nodded to the woman but found her to still be a bit weepy and so he looked away uncomfortably. He turned back to the Headmaster who was looking at his pocket watch.

"Mr. Padge and I are going to address the Wizengamot now. Madam Gadsley will stay and answer any of your questions while we are gone. Guard!"

When the outer door was opened and a guard stuck his head in the Headmaster requested the removal of the manacles. When this was done everyone left the room with the exception of Severus Snape and Madam Gadsley seated across the table from each other. He looked at her and smiled politely and then turned away and stared hard at the locked door.

"Madam, I was wondering of you could provide me with some answers as to Miss Granger's condition of you would?" he asked, still not looking at her.

"Most certainly I could." She replied.

"How goes her recovery?"

"She's fine. She was released yesterday and has been most vocal about your immediate release." Her voice quavered in an odd way and so he kept his face averted.

"Do you…can you tell me…has she explained what happened to her? How she was…injured?"

"Well as to that, when you fell out of the sky almost on top of her, from what was explained to me by the doctors, there was a form of uncontrolled magic that I used to stop your fall. The energy it took to keep you from plummeting to your death almost drained me dry. I am sorry about the last five feet. Ron interrupted me."

Her words jumped around in his brain but did not makes any sense. Confused he turned to look at her and saw her features pulling and stretching and her hair darkening and frizzing up into uncontrolled chaos.

"Oh...gods…_Hermione_." he breathed.

She smiled and tears spilled down her face as she nodded her head.

His chair fell over backwards as he leapt up and ran around the table. She stood with more grace and opened her arms to him as he swept her off her feet and clutched her to his chest.

"Oh, gods, I thought I had hurt you! I didn't remember. I don't know what happened. I thought…"

"You had been belted in the head with a rock by a giant, you don't remember because you were concussed."

"Then I didn't…?"

"No. But I do understand that you threatened to kiss me and make me all better and you still haven't. I consider that unpardonable."

So he did and just like the first two times it was magic. Different. Not as sweet as the first one, or as romantic as the second, this kiss was made of something deeper. There were hints of desperation in the meeting of the lips, a dash of wish fulfillment in the caressing of a scalp. There was a measure of atonement in the gentle stroking of a spine. The main ingredient in this kiss, however, was love. There was love in the tears that dampened cheeks and the hungry nibbles on lips and throats There was love in the constant pulling back to look deeper in each other's eyes before crashing back together so lips and tongues could play. Busy hands started their own agenda. Love and atonement were all well and good but they wanted something more. Hands started to move away from backs and necks and other such tame things and seek out richer territory. When Hermione felt the silky skin on the small of his back she let out a deep moan that made him shudder. When he finally got a hand on her breast they both collapsed against the table but never stopped kissing each other. She worked her hips up onto the table and wrapped her legs around his knees, drawing him in. He tried to be a gentleman and shift his hips so as to not be too obvious what state he was in but she grabbed him and turned him until their bodies met the way they wanted to.

"Hermione.." he moaned, " we need to stop." But he ground his hardness into her center.

"We still have about thirty minutes before anyone comes back." she replied while she sucked on his throat.

"Oh, gods above and below if you do not stop you will lose your virtue on this table in the cellblock of the ministry while wearing Molly Weasley's clothes." he ground out before rucking up her shirt and sucking a nipple into his mouth.

"Oh my God!" she squealed as she grabbed his head and fell back on the table. He got one knee up on the table to keep his place at her breast. "How did you know they were Molly Weasley's clothes?"

"She always wore that outfit when she had to come pay for damage the twins did. I just didn't place it right away." He reached down and slid a hand under the now oversized skirt and started to caress a knee gently. "So what's the verdict? Candlelight and music later or potential shame and embarrassment now, you must tell me, I am rapidly losing my ability to think about your best interests, Granger." He moved on to the other nipple and groaned. She reached down and wormed a hand down the back of his trousers and caressed his arse. He shoved himself farther up onto the table on top of her and started to suck on her neck while grinding his hardness into her thigh. His moans were coming with each breath now as his hand found her wetness and she yowled like a cat.

"Do you think we will ever have a normal relationship, Severus?"

"Say my name again," he groaned.

"Answer my question…Severusss."

"Are we going to have a relationship, Granger?" he panted.

"Yes, you are mine and I will not let you go."

"Gods, don't ever let me go." He moved up and kissed her fiercely. "Since we are neither of us normal I think the chances are slim. Merlin, you are beautiful." He kissed her again softly before plunging his tongue into her mouth while working his hand inside her knickers and sliding his fingers along her cleft.

"Then lets save the candlelight and music for when we are feeling kinky and fuck now."

Hearing her use that kind of language threw him over any last mental fences in their way and he growled as he sat up and pulled off her knickers. She reached up and started pulling at his trouser buttons until he was free and then reached in and pulled out his hard length. He shuddered under her touch and made the sweetest mewling sound as she caressed him marveling at the feel, so hard and silky smooth and hot even as she was startled at how it looked. Actually a little odd. She had only seen pictures of them soft and had no idea that they could look so…proud.

"Granger you will kill me if you don't stop. I'm only human and I cannot hold back much longer if you keep doing that without having an aneurism."

Like women all over the world since the dawn of time Hermione realized just how much power she held in her hands at that moment and felt a little smug.

She tilted her head up and he was right there with a burning kiss as he leaned her back on the table and started to work magic between her legs with his deft fingers. She felt her mind starting to spin as new sensations started to take over. She had never made herself feel anything like this even when she thought of him in the dark of the night.

"Yes, my sweet Hermione, sing to me." And she became aware that the moans she was hearing were coming from her. His fingers danced as his mouth came down on her breast and she started to pant. He slid a finger inside and she felt herself fly apart. He kissed her deeply as she screamed into his mouth and as she subsided she felt him at her entrance, his smooth heat rolling around in her juices before starting to slid in ever so slowly. Backing out, he slid in a little more. Continuing this pattern until she became impatient and gave a breathy whine of exasperation. He leaned down and kissed her gently.

"Forgive me, Precious, this might hurt." and then he snapped his hips forward and buried himself in her. "Oh, fuuuck!" was all he managed to get out before the rest turned into erotic garble as his head thunked down onto the table top by her shoulder.

He held himself still through what he felt was a true act of manhood, until he felt her relax again underneath him. His plan was to look her in the eye and give her encouragement and slowly bring her back to her own pleasure. But when he raised himself up off her to look at her he saw Hermione Granger sprawled half naked underneath him with her lips kissed swollen and her eyes full of sin and all he could think was, '_I'm finally fucking Granger_!' without a clear understanding just how long he had been wanting to.

"Not if you aren't moving you're not," she drawled in a throaty voice that made his balls draw up even farther.

"Oh, gods, I said that out loud, didn't I."

"Yesssss…oh, please move…I want you to move…"

And so he did.

He started slowly but it wasn't long before her howls and screams of delight had him pistoning in and out of her like his life depended on it.

"Oh, fuck, Hermione, do you know how beautiful you are? Do you know how much I love seeing you like this, my gods, woman, do you know how much I love you?" he sobbed as he lifted her hips in both hands and had at her.

"Yes, oh hell yes! Marry me, Severus? Stay with me forever?"

When he came he felt his heart explode with happiness. And his howl was heard on several floors of the Ministry of Magic.

~*^*~

The guards stood outside the open door with identical expressions of confused horror as the Headmaster for Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry informed Professor Severus Snape he was a free man and they all walked out of the room. They both risked a quick peak into the room but didn't see anyone else besides the dumpy seventy-something year old woman and the other lawyer. They looked back at the relaxed cat-that-got-the-cream expression on the face of the potions master and then at each other and they both shuddered.

"Well, Severus. Allowing that you have some time before the next school term starts in the fall I imagine you will be wanting to take a real vacation for once. Any ideas about where you might want to go?" the Headmaster asked with a sparkle in his eye.

Severus looked down at the dumpy little witch next to him and then back up at the Headmaster.

"I was thinking of Galicia. I have a little place there." He looked back at the witch and raised an eyebrow.

"And what about you Madam? Any plans for the summer?"

"Interestingly enough I was also thinking about Galicia," she turned to the Professor and said, "Perhaps we could travel together?"

"Certainly," he replied. "Shall I walk you out?"

"That would be lovely, Professor."

"Call me, Severus, Madam."

"Whoever you are," she replied as he offered her his arm.

And she took it.


End file.
